Hi all, Roadrunner here, wishing you all a Happy New Year! While I have many candidates I’d love to promote. For example, Jon Tester in Montana, Mary Peltola in Alaska, MGP in Washington (see the rural theme here), the one I’m most interested in as you may realize is Jonathan Nez, who is the only one of the four candidates mentioned here that is in the range of me, the Greater Roadrunner, being a resident of the Painted Desert region in the four corners area, with frequent forays into the Sonoran. So enough about that, and I’ll spare you the harrowing stories of dodging coyotes and Republicans in old Chryslers and cut to the chase today.
Jonathan Nez entered the congressional race in the 4th quarter of 2023, so he could use a little last-minute push to close out the quarter strong. I’ll recap below a little about him. Contribute if you can (find the orange highlights below). Meep meep...
In October, Jonathan Nez who led the Navajo Nation as President through the roughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic declared his candidacy for the US House to unseat MAGA extremist Eli Crane, one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, because Crane wanted a more radical right-wing Republican leader in the House.
As president of the Navajo Nation, Nez led his people through the COVID-19 pandemic, secured funds to construct new healthcare facilities and homes for veterans, invested in infrastructure improvements, and brought clean water and electricity to thousands of previously unserved residents. He has defended tribal sovereignty, public lands, and sacred sites. While Crane opposes abortion even in cases of incest or rape, Nez supports abortion rights unequivocally.
Arizona's 2nd Congressional District is a vast expansive district that is almost 60,000 square miles in area and includes 14 of Arizona's 22 Native American tribes, covering over half the state's land area. Many of the rural areas are deep red. The district overall went for Trump by 7.9 percentage points in 2020, but with Nez on the ballot, increased tribal turnout could put the race in play and also help deliver Arizona's 11 Electoral Votes to Joe Biden again in 2024.
With Lauren Boebert weaseling out of defending her +9 Trump seat, Eli Crane is the best mark to defeat an extreme MAGA member of Congress in a + 5 to +10 competitive but “red-leaning” seat.
The opportunity for a historic upset, and for getting another Native voice in the US Congress, is there but it will take a strong 4th quarter to put the race on the map and keep it there.
You can help Jonathan Nez become the first Native American to represent Arizona in Congress, and remove MAGA extremist Eli Crane, by contributing here:
To learn more about Jonathan Nez you can also visit here:
The Kos community has always risen to the occasion to help fund grassroots efforts on Arizona's tribal lands and we in Arizona’s 2nd congressional district appreciate your support for a candidate that gives us hope for real representation. Thank you.
[Author’s note: This post is a community volunteer post and is not directly affiliated with any paid position within a campaign]